LINCOLN — Two runs was plenty of offense for Chatham Glenwood High School in the Class 3A Lincoln Sectional championship Saturday with the performances the Titans got from pitcher Brianna Graham and their defense.

Graham (17-5) allowed just seven base runners and one unearned run as Glenwood beat Mattoon 2-1 at Ken Schweitzer Field.

“Winning is in their blood,” Glenwood coach Vondel Edgar said. “They understand what it takes to win and win championships. It makes our job as coaches a lot easier.”

Mattoon was accustomed to scoring runs in bunches. But even with the help of two Glenwood errors, the Green Wave could never bust through.

On May 31, Mattoon (26-7) won the Mount Zion Regional by beating the host Braves 13-11 then pounded Mahomet-Seymour 18-4 in six innings in Tuesday’s Lincoln Sectional semifinal.

“I wasn’t nervous because I knew if I played my game and kept it off the plate and mixed it up (it would limit Mattoon’s offense),” Graham said.

Glenwood junior shortstop Parker Bandy led off the bottom of the first inning with a double to deep left-center and moved to third on a Madi Torry sacrifice bunt.

“We knew we had to get base runners,” Bandy said. “We were just looking to go gap to gap and get some runners on.”

During Sami Long’s at bat, Bandy scored on a wild pitch from Cassi Dow.

“I could tell when it left her hand it was going (to the backstop),” Bandy said.

The Green Wave tied the game in the top of the second following a Bandy error.

Graham helped herself in the third inning with a soft popup behind first base. When it landed fair between three closing fielders, the ball spun into foul territory and rolled out of play for a double.

“I knew the wind was crazy and when I hit it; I knew she was going to drop it,” Graham said.

Courtesy runner Amanda Balster scored from third on a Bandy sacrifice fly.

Golden Graham

Graham gave up three hits and one walk while striking out two over seven innings for the win.

It wasn’t just Graham, however. The Glenwood defense did a nice job of making plays at crucial times to keep Mattoon at just one run.

After Nichols scored the tying run in the second, Bandy made up for her error that inning by cleanly fielding Dow’s grounder, stepping on second and firing to first for the double play to end the inning.

Page 2 of 2 - The top of the third ended when Avery Jackson was trying to stretch a single into a double, but Glenwood left fielder Abby Burton fired a strike to second for the tag.

Mattoon coach Trent Duckett said he would’ve been happy before the game if he knew his team would limit Glenwood to so few runs.